Visits to Fields of Battle, in England, of the Fifteenth Century: to which are added, some miscellaneous tracts and papers upon archæological subjectsBrooke, Richard
History
Visits to Fields of Battle, in England, of the Fifteenth Century: to which are added, some miscellaneous tracts and papers upon archæological subjects
Brooke, Richard
Battlefields -- England; Great Britain -- History -- Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485
{25c} James Touchet Lord Audley (the son and heir of John Touchet Lord
Audley, who died in the tenth year of Henry IV.) was summoned to
Parliament in the eighth year of Henry V., as Lord Audley. He attended
Henry V. in his wars in France. In the reign of Henry VI., he took part
with the House of Lancaster, and was sent by Queen Margaret to intercept
the Earl of Salisbury at Blore Heath, which was not more than ten or
twelve miles from Lord Audley’s possession of Red Castle at Hawkstone,
now belonging to the Viscount Hill, in Shropshire. After Lord Audley’s
death in that battle, his body was interred in Darley Abbey, in
Derbyshire. He left a son, John Lord Audley, who adhered to the Yorkist
party, and had some offices of importance conferred upon him by Edward
IV. and Richard III., and died in 1491, in the sixth year of Henry VII.,
leaving issue.
{25d} For the historical authorities, see Hall, Holinshed, Grafton,
Baker, Speed, Stow, Dugdale’s _Baronage_, Sandford’s _Genealogical
History_, Kennett’s _Lives of the Kings and Queens_; Leland’s
_Itinerary_, vol. vii. fo. 32; _Rot. Parl._ 38 Henry VI. (A.D. 1459),
vol. v. p. 348. The latter contains the following passage:—“the sonday
next after the fest of Seint Mathewe th’ Apostle, the 38 yere of youre
moost gracious reigne, at Blore, in youre shire of Stafford, in the
feldes of the same towne, called Blore-heth,” &c. &c.; see also _ibid._
p. 369, in which it is stated, that Queen Margaret and Edward Prince of
Wales had been at Chester, and afterwards at Eccleshall, previously to
the battle; and that Lord Stanley was directed, before it took place, to
come with his forces, and join the Lancastrians; and that he sent his
servant to the Queen and the Prince with a promise to do so in all haste,
but failed, and by his failing to join them, the Lancastrians were
defeated, although he was, with 2000 men, within six miles of Blore
Heath, and that he staid three days at Newcastle, only six miles from
Eccleshall, where the Queen and Prince of Wales then were; and that in
the morning after the defeat of the Lancastrians, Lord Stanley sent a
letter to the Queen and Prince, extenuating his not having assisted them
with his forces; and that he then departed home again; and also that the
people and tenants of the King and of the Prince, in the hundreds of
Wirral and of Macclesfield, had been prevented by Lord Stanley from going
to the assistance of the King; and he was also accused of having, on the
night ensuing the battle, sent a letter of congratulation to the Earl of
Salisbury. If those charges were true, it looks very much as if he had
been a Yorkist at heart, but disposed to keep fair with both sides.
{26a} Sir Richard Molyneux was an ancestor of the Earl of Sefton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account